Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is one of our favorite Italian dishes to make. A Classic Italian chicken dish, we love mushrooms and if anyone has asked us about our Rick’s Casablanca Seasoning, you’ll have heard that it is the seasoning we use for our Chicken Marsala. Casablanca Seasoning is also wonderful as a Roast Seasoning, as well as with any beef, chicken or grilled seafood dish.

We have eaten Chicken Marsala at many restaurants, with mixed results. While we have had some good versions, some excellent, many are barely acceptable and some are so far from what it should be, they should rename it then remove it from their menu.

Cheryl likes my version since I make sure I use enough mushrooms and the seasoning adds a wonderful flavor to the chicken. It’s a recipe which has evolved over the last 10 years as we have tweaked it for more of this and more of that, and just more made so we can have leftovers. She likes to say that my version stands up against any on the street, as I will put her Pasta Sauce up against any restaurant version as well.

This recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of Casablanca Seasoning for 2 chicken breasts. Because we love the flavor of the seasoning, we will add extra both in the flour as well as sprinkled on the chicken as it’s cooking in the pan. Go by taste, since it does have a bit of spiciness, but not so much you won’t want to add more.

We usually double the recipe since we love the way it turns out and look forward to having it for leftovers the next day or two. Yes, we like it that much.

Directions:

Combine the flour and Rick’s Casablanca In a shallow bowl or plate. Mix thoroughly. Dredge the chicken breast halves in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour. I make sure both sides are coated well since this adds the flavor and gives the chicken the nice color when browned as well helps to thicken the sauce later.

Heat the oil in a large, deep-sided pan over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When it melts in a few seconds, carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook until a nice golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch closely so they don’t burn. Move them to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the pan. When it starts to melt, add the mushrooms. Stir frequently, until mushrooms have lost their moisture and they are starting to turn light brown. Make sure they don’t burn. Pour in the Sweet Marsala wine. Bring to a boil and deglaze the pan by scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When you have reduced the wine by half, add the chicken stock and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has started to thickened. Add a bit of the seasoned flour if needed. Lower the heat to medium. Place the the chicken breasts back in the pan. Continue to cook them about 5-6 minutes or until they are cooked thoroughly and the sauce has thickened. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, mixing in as it melts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.